Women's History Month: Perspectives on Pursuing a PhD and Working in a Pandemic

 

Reba Williams, Librarian Assistant III at Smithfield Library & doctoral student at University of Alabama. 

 By Reba Williams |Smithfield Library

Starting and working on a PhD, in the best of times, is an overwhelming combination of literature reviews, training sessions, orienting oneself to the start of a long academic commitment and, if we're lucky, the excitement of finally pursuing a passion project. But starting and working on a PhD in a pandemic offers a whole set of emotional, technological and logistical upheavals. 

At the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, they foster a research community which was successfully moved from a community building and engagement completely online due to Covid-19. This is a topic I am very familiar with as I earned a Masters in Library & Information Studies at UA last year amidst the pandemic.   

The needs of the doctoral community have changed throughout the pandemic. For the most part, PhD students have settled into their virtual or blended routines. As time has gone on, there has been an acceptance of our new situation and most Doctoral Researchers have had the time to figure out what works best for them.

Some of the community support has devolved into individual schools of study, and we have been thrilled to see different departments taking the lead in creating online communities for their students and groups of Doctoral Researchers creating smaller online support networks supported by our Doctoral School.

For PhD students such as myself who have continued to progress through the mid-pandemic, the experience is likely to be quite different. We are not adapting to a new way of working, but rather carving out their own PhD path within the confines of Covid-19 and the virtual, blended and physically distanced university environment.

This term, I asked some of our new researchers how starting a PhD during these odd circumstances has been for them.

 An anonymous second semester student responded, "I think my experience is fairly similar to other students. Trying to find continuous motivation has been difficult when every other aspect of life and relationships is enduring stress related to Covid-19. 

I think it feels much harder now to find motivation with news of Covid-19 spikes in rates and the uncertainty of another lockdown. Sometimes it feels I should be doing other things for my community to help during this hard time rather than focusing on my PhD. But then there is also the guilt of not doing enough for my PhD." 

Another anonymous first year PhD student responded, "Setting up online meetings with my supervisors has been a breeze!" 

While the experience of starting a PhD has been both up and down, it was good to know there were at least some positives to the situation. The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, from the beginning of this term, has continued to offer an academic and a social community to ensure student success during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of our events have included a monthly session with classmates. 

The University of Alabama’s C &IS (Communications & Information Sciences) Department once again held an opportunity for students to meet alumni and get advice from professionals who are currently working in a wide range of careers. This chance allows for students to ask alumni questions and hear from those who once attended the Capstone. 

These online events can and offer council as well as connections in the career world. The event was held online over  Zoom. While some researchers are seeking the support of smaller groups, clustered around their disciplines, we believe it is important to continue to foster interdisciplinary and support connections across schools of study.

One of our aims as a scholar has been to promote interdisciplinary links in the Doctoral Community and our regular groups. I realize that Covid-19 has come with its set of hurdles, but I look at it as life - you climb over one hurtle at a time.

No one knows what each day will bring, you have to choose to go and conquer each day!

Reba Williams PhD Student, College of Communication, and Information Studies The University of Alabama; Tuscaloosa Graduate Teacher/Researcher Assistant – Department of Communication Studies (She/Her/Hers)